Gear Review: C-Tug Kayak Cart by Trevor Thomson | Aug 14, 2020 | Big Tuna, Fishing, Fishing Feature, Fishing Instruction, JAdventures Main Banner | 6 comments Gear Review: C-Tug Kayak Cart By: Trevor Thomson I’m on my 4th year of kayak angling. As I currently paddle one of the heaviest fishing boats on the market I am officially on my 3rd and Final Kayak Cart! Thank you, C-Tug Kayak Cart, for entering my life, what a relief! Gear reviews are meant to be opinionated and honest, so here are my thoughts. Cart#1 – Malone Xpress Scupper Kayak Cart Pros – Lightweight, collapsible, puncture proof wheels Cons – So lightweight that is doesn’t withstand heavier angling kayaks (I bent mine bad). Scupper cart so it can potentially do damage to your boat. Width adjustment mechanism very weak. Difficult to load fully rigged up boat without 2 people. Cart#2 – DIY Aluminum Scupper Cart Pros – Rolls like a dream with bearing type wheels, Very Strong! Cons – Heavy, like carrying around an extra 10lb anchor just for fun…..Not collapsible. Air filled tires Cart#3 – C-Tug Kayak Cart Pros – Lightweight. Collapsible. Flat hull pads to adjust to multiple type boat hull contours. Puncture proof tires with options for sand specific tires. Stand alone feature with kickstand to aid in self loading Cons – Strap to secure cart to boat can be cumbersome sometimes. To me, the C-Tug is the ultimate in kayak carts on the market. I not only use it for my Jackson Big Tuna, but for my SUP as well. It is truly a “one cart for all” in my opinion! https://www.railblaza.com/c-tug/ A couple of tips based on things that I’ve observed since I’ve had the C-Tug Kayak Cart; 1: Keep the wheel hubs free of any debris before mounting onto the spindles, it will roll with great ease when clean of sand or dirt. 2: When loading you fully rigged out boat onto the cart for transporting, place the cart beside your boat at an angle, not parallel. This will aid in getting the cart straight under the hull of the boat for tracking purposes. I usually lift at the stern, and the bow is my pivot point on the ground. 3: Learn your boats’ best balance point for weightless transportation. Do some trails with your boat on the cart completely unloaded and then loaded to learn the best positioning of your cart. Once you have found the right balance point, it should be very manageable to lift and pull your boat with minimal effort. 4: Don’t be afraid to take the cart with you on the water. Use the strap to secure it, or your deck bungies, or even break it down and store inside your hull. You never know when you may need it, and it beats hiding it in the trees or walking it back to your vehicle. Look Forward to seeing you out there! Trevor Thomson Jackson Kayak Regional Fishing team Aquabatics Ambassador (Edm, AB, CAN) Facebook @Alan Thomson Instagram @paddlepowerangler 6 Comments Keith on August 14, 2020 at 6:51 pm If you have trouble loading your kayak on the cart because either the kayak slides off the cart or the cart rolls out from under the kayak, you can anchor the two together with a rope or strap. Hook into the front handle and onto the cart. I have a short video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/yGk68X-aqAc The kayak is a Jackso Zen. Reply Chris Atkins on August 15, 2020 at 10:07 am When at the ramp I roll my kayak into the water with the ctug attached to the point the wheels are no longer touching then remove the ctug take apart and put in front hatch. Do the reverse when come back in. Doing this I only have to lift my kayak onto/off the cart at my truck when it is empty. Reply Fin on August 15, 2020 at 4:24 pm Adding bungees cords is a game channger and much better than the c-tug strap. I use two on each side run thru the holes and tied figure 8 not to keep them in place. The bonus is when strapped tight to the kayak if the wheels get knocked down e.g.. rock, root, whatever, all you have to do is pick up the back end and the wheels snap back into place. Reply Jean Wilson on March 1, 2021 at 1:39 pm Very helpful review and comparison and comments! Great job, Trevor Alan!! Reply Paul Reyes on July 7, 2021 at 12:56 pm I only got a dozen uses from mine before an axle shaft broke. Reply Sue Mackey on August 31, 2022 at 12:07 pm The C Tug stand keeps collapsing now and doesn’t stay up – is it possible to tighten up the stand screws? Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
Keith on August 14, 2020 at 6:51 pm If you have trouble loading your kayak on the cart because either the kayak slides off the cart or the cart rolls out from under the kayak, you can anchor the two together with a rope or strap. Hook into the front handle and onto the cart. I have a short video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/yGk68X-aqAc The kayak is a Jackso Zen. Reply
Chris Atkins on August 15, 2020 at 10:07 am When at the ramp I roll my kayak into the water with the ctug attached to the point the wheels are no longer touching then remove the ctug take apart and put in front hatch. Do the reverse when come back in. Doing this I only have to lift my kayak onto/off the cart at my truck when it is empty. Reply
Fin on August 15, 2020 at 4:24 pm Adding bungees cords is a game channger and much better than the c-tug strap. I use two on each side run thru the holes and tied figure 8 not to keep them in place. The bonus is when strapped tight to the kayak if the wheels get knocked down e.g.. rock, root, whatever, all you have to do is pick up the back end and the wheels snap back into place. Reply
Jean Wilson on March 1, 2021 at 1:39 pm Very helpful review and comparison and comments! Great job, Trevor Alan!! Reply
Paul Reyes on July 7, 2021 at 12:56 pm I only got a dozen uses from mine before an axle shaft broke. Reply
Sue Mackey on August 31, 2022 at 12:07 pm The C Tug stand keeps collapsing now and doesn’t stay up – is it possible to tighten up the stand screws? Reply
